questions

[smokeeater3302]

what is the best / cheapest way for someone to get into reloading . I dont know any thing about it but am good when it comes to following directions just ask my wife .

Anyways I would like to start out reloading for 8mm .357/.38 and 12ga also .410
what would be the best set up that I could start out with ? I am not looking to pump
out thousands of rounds in one setting or any thing like that . Just a basic start up package.

[Dezynco]

For the 357's, the Lee Classic is hard to beat.  That's the little kit that you smack with a mallet or a block of wood.  They usually cost around $16.00.

For the shotgun shells, a set of Lee dippers ($8.00) and the rest of the stuff (wads, shot, primers, powder) Place theempty shotgun shell over a socket from your tool box, use a nail to punch out the old primer.  Place a new primer on the table, use a dowel and a mallet to carefully to drive the shotgun shell down onto the new primer until it's seated.  Use safety glasses here!

Use the Lee dipper to scoop the appropriate amount of shotgun powder into the hull, jamb the wad down into the hull and tamp it down with the dowel.  Now fill the shotgun shell up with shot until it looks about right.  Use another socket to squash the top of the hull down, the use whatever to force it on down into a nice looking crimp.

You can also cut the very top of the hull off (the part that crimps over) then glue a piece of cardboard or an "overshot" wad into the end of the hull.  I've used waterproofwood glue or "fletching" glue that you can buy at the archery supply shop.

Total expense to load shotgun shells, around $10.00 or so, although this works best in double-barrels or single shots.  Works OK for pump guns too.  Autoloaders tend to prefer a resized hull to feed properly.

[P.A. Myers]

I would recommend getting a quality press, used. Presses are pretty hard to hurt, the biggest problem is rust. There are lots of MEC 600 Jr. shotgun presses. Automatic primer feeds can be a bit tricky even on a single stage press. I would vastly advise to get hands-on help to learn this, much loading is done by 'feel' and is hard to get from a book. Reloading 410s is a good way to save money, but they are a pain to load.
You can save some money with hand-held units but they are very slow and require a bit of skill.

Good Luck, watch the local classifieds you may find some heir dumping grampa's old gun junk.

[necchi]

this is a good read,,
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,99824.0.html

[Dezynco]

You asked how to reload "on the cheap", and the post I made above is as cheap as I can imagine for loading shotgun shells.  However, like P.A.Myers said, a good quality press really makes life easier.  Look for a good used press.  Lee even makes the "Load-All" shotgun press that is fairly inexpensive - around $50.00 or so.

I still recommend the Lee Loader kit though, I still use my 45-70 kit occaisionally, even though I have dies and a press.

If you can swing it, look for a good used single stage press like a Lyman or RCBS, and the Lee Classic is not a bad set-up for $130.00 new (includes a powder measure, scale, and a few other goodies).

[smokeeater3302]

thanks for the info guys ,

I am looking to get started into it ,  and I think that I have an idea now
Just find some one that is no longer loading or getting rid of what they
think is junk . The 8mm is so that I can play and the 12 ga is because
Hevi-shot rules just not the price .

[SHOOTALL]

RCBS rock crusher kit . Speer book and others ( get book first ) why these ? they are well priced and every tool will be repaired if it ever breaks even if you break it from doing something with you should not have. The book is a good guide that list componets that are easy to come by. If you like reloading this set up will last into your grand kids day and if you don't it can be resold as it is a quality tool .

[LilNewt]

I would also advise looking into the lee classic loader.  Never have thought about reloading shotgun shells before, but Dezynco way sounds interesting to say the least. 

You will get a lot of opinions on this.  When I looked into it there were enough to drive a person mad.  But I did the research and found out that you can indeed reload for less than you will buy the store stuff.  Time is the biggest issue with reloading for cheap though.  The classic loader is about the slowest way I can think there is, but I did the numbers and for the amount of money I paid, the amount of ammo I will be able to produce will make the ammo half price of that which I would have bought at the store.  And then the next batch will be even less because I will only figure in cost of supplies not equipment.

But, and I do say but, you have to do your homework.  There are a lot of useful tools to have which will start to bring the price up.  Its all personal preference.  Dont just go out and get the first thing you see.  Do the research, look at youtube for videos, and you are going to find a ton of very, very helpful people on this site that will answer just about any question you can think of. 

Last but certainly not least, if your not looking at the absolute bottom dollar way of starting like I was (it was almost a game to me to see just how cheap someone could get into reloading), then I would look at the Lee Anniversary Kit, or something like that. 

[LilNewt]

I tried for ever to find someone getting rid of old stuff, never could really come up with anything cheaper than what I could buy it brand new.  Seems like value is really dependent on what someone thinks it means to them, and with the scarcity of ammo these days its a wonder people are not "scalping".

[SHOOTALL]

For shot gun nothing beats MEC for quality at a reasonable price. Check on Lees repair policy it always cost me to get parts , not so with RCBS

[huntducks]

For the shotgun I would buy a Mec 600 MK-5 in 12ga(make sure it's a MK-5) you can add a 410 die set to it later check out ebay the 12ga presses are selling in the $50-$65 range used also use ebay and buy a RCBS Jr press it's a O style press and it will work great for years to come I see them selling on ebay for $35-$45 used.

[Jal5]

I started reloading for pistol and rifle last year and watched craigslist, this forum, plus several other shooting forums for guys selling used equipment. I bought quality items for 30-50% off price of new. I have much better equipment now than I could ever have afforded if I had purchased brand new. And like others said here already, it will outlive me easily.

Oh yeah buy at least 2-3 reloading books and read em several times.  There are some good videos for free on YouTube too, one guy named AmmoSmith I think goes through the whole process step by step. Invaluable if you don't have someone close by to show you the ropes. 

Joe

[Dezynco]

+++ for You Tube.  Lots of good information and opinions there, and it's all free.  Yep, the "Ammosmith" does a really good job explaining things, and doesn't have a bais toward any particular brand.  All single stage presses operate in basically the same manner, so you can take lessons from one press and apply them to another.

There are several good videos about the Lee Classic Loader too.  I believe that all the calibers that you want to load are available in this kit also.  It is a slow way to reload, but you definately learn the process well, and the kits are very inexpensive.  Also very handy to pack along with you at the range.